A federal judge ruled Friday that Kentucky cannot require certain Medicaid recipients to get jobs or lose their benefits.

In a closely watched case, US District Court Judge James Boasberg voided the federal government's approval of Kentucky's request to implement work requirements and kicked the matter back to the Department of Health & Human Services for further review.

"...The [Health] Secretary never adequately considered whether Kentucky HEALTH would in fact help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid," Boasberg wrote, referring to Kentucky's Medicaid overhaul. "This signal omission renders his determination arbitrary and capricious."

The decision blocks the state -- at least temporarily -- from moving forward with its plan to launch its Medicaid overhaul on July 1.

The ruling could also have national implications as the Trump administration seeks to implement work requirements in more federal programs for low-income Americans, particularly Medicaid. In addition to Kentucky, nearly a dozen other states have either already been granted waivers for Medicaid work requirements or are seeking them. Arkansas implemented its work requirement in June.

Governor Matt Bevin, a Republican, has threatened to end Medicaid expansion if the state cannot proceed with the waiver. His administration did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Department of Health & Human Services called the decision "disappointing."

"We are conferring with the Department of Justice to chart a path forward," said Seema Verma, administrator of the department's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She was heavily involved in writing Kentucky's initial waiver requesting permission to implement work requirements before joining the Trump administration last year. The agency will continue to support state programs "designed to advance the objectives of the Medicaid program by improving health outcomes ... of low-income Americans," she said................

everybody remember what the Art of the Deal author said, other than Rump cant read or write and lied about everything in the book, that if he could KILL US the way NK leader can and does kill his opponents

I'll give you that assist, this is read, but I didn't watch it, I've reached my limit on bummer news. I want Trump gone, everything I need is in place for that, more is just more. My spillway is open and I'm letting that excess flow downstream to save the dam.

You might try that approach Libertas, it will do no harm which has not already been done by Trump et.al.

A federal district court judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration must consider on an individual basis whether immigrants who come to the U.S. seeking asylum represent a flight risk or a danger to their community before they can be detained if they've proven a credible fear of persecution.

Judge James Boasberg, on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from arbitrarily detaining asylum seekers.

President Donald Trump has declined a request from Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley to lower American flags in honor of the fatal shooting of five employees of The Capital newspaper last week.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know? … Is there a cutoff for tragedy?” Buckley said Monday afternoon. “This was an attack on the press. It was an attack on freedom of speech. It’s just as important as any other tragedy.”

President Donald Trump has declined a request from Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley to lower American flags in honor of the fatal shooting of five employees of The Capital newspaper last week.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know? … Is there a cutoff for tragedy?” Buckley said Monday afternoon. “This was an attack on the press. It was an attack on freedom of speech. It’s just as important as any other tragedy.”

A New York man who said he was Donald Trump's personal driver for more than 20 years sued the U.S. president's company on Monday, claiming he was stiffed out of thousands of hours of overtime pay.

Noel Cintron said the Trump Organization has not paid him for 3,300 hours of overtime in the last six years, the most he can sue for because of a statute of limitations, and has not given him a "meaningful" raise for 12 years.

During an interview with CBS News’ Jeff Glor, Trump said: “I watched some of the testimony, even though I’m in Europe, of Strzok. And I thought it was a disgrace to our country. I thought it was an absolute disgrace.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four U.S. states sued the federal government on Tuesday to void the new $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes included in President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax overhaul.

The lawsuit by New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey came seven months after Trump signed the $1.5 trillion overhaul passed by the Republican-led Congress, which cut taxes for wealthy Americans and slashed the corporate tax rate.

.............It was appalling, yes. But it was also predictable. And that’s an important point, because if we are to survive this existential emergency, it starts with being clear-eyed about the clear and present danger we face. This is not a good man, not a patriotic man, not a moral, smart or brave man. All of us should know that by now.

So yes, let us be angry, be determined, be resilient, but let us not be shocked by Trump. That's a waste of time. November is coming.

President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers declared last week that America’s war on poverty “is largely over and a success.” In their opinion, this now makes a case for them to establish work requirements on Americans who currently receive benefits from federal safety net programs like food stamps and Medicaid.

Let me be clear: The war on poverty is far from over. There are currently 140 million poor and working people in our country, and 37 million without health care. Of those 140 million, 41 million are living below the poverty line. White people make up 42.5 percent, or 17.3 million of those living below the poverty line, followed by Latinx at 27.4 percent, or 11.1 million, and Black Americans at 22.7 percent, or 9.2 million. Children are also victims of this nation’s poverty cycle, with almost four in ten children spending at least one year of their lives in poverty. All together, that’s nearly half of this country’s population, yet the president thinks poverty has nearly been eradicated................

A New Jersey woman has promised to pop a balloon depicting President Donald Trump as a baby when it makes its way to the Garden State -- and she's so serious about it she's already fundraising for her bail.

The 20-foot balloon, depicting Trump as a baby in a diaper holding a cell phone, has been taking social media by storm after it was used in protests against the United States president in London -- and now it is coming to New Jersey.

@PressSec is continuing to malign @kaitlancollins with a false statement saying she "refused to leave" the Oval Office after a press event. I was there.
I saw reporters doing their jobs and asking questions of the president, then leaving w/o incident.

I am aware my rhetoric dehumanizes them, but it is not meant to dehumanize them it is meant to show them the respect they deserve, none.

Excuse me while I use a BROAD BRUSH to say anyone who spends one minute defending anything rump is just as guilty as he is of all his crimes